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#2409 | Wednesday, September 11th 2002
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On that fateful on 9-11-01 I woke up and found my mom glued to the TV watching the first of the two trade towers after it was attacked. Neither of us knew what had happened. I thought that a tremendous accident had occurred. But later, while my mom was busy elsewhere I was still watching the TV and saw the second plane hit, live. At that moment I felt an extreme sense of insignificance and was worried about the people in the towers. Later, when I found out that the towers collapsed my teacher and I both broke down and cried. These terrible events have left me emotionally damaged and have made me much more patriotic. And now with the one-year anniversary upon us all the memories have come flooding back.
So, today I ask you to take time to reflect upon what has happened and just give a moment of silence for the many lives lost. Also, please spend time with your family and talk things over with each other. I ask that we never forget 9-11-01 and that it lives in our hearts forever.
Peace, Adrien
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Adrien | 15 | New Mexico
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#1995 | Tuesday, September 10th 2002
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It was my freshman year of college at the University of Redlands in Redlands, CA. My parents had just drove home that previous Friday and I had just known my roommate less than 4 days. The morning of September 11, 2001 I had a 9:30 AM class and had planned to sleep until 8:30 AM. Suddenly somebody pounded on my door and warned us that we were at war.
Turning on the television we learned that we were not in fact at war. Watching that snowy TV for hours broke my heart. I had spent 3 months in the east coast the summer before and love the WTC towers.
Suddenly the news announcer gave names of places that were on alert. Los Alamos, NM was only 20 min away from my home and I was terrified knowing that the entire nation was unsafe.
Later the airplanes were detoured from LAX to Ontario,CA airport. Ontario was 20 min away from me and I had never felt so scared in my life. I could not even imagine what the people in New York felt.
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Teresa | 19 | New Mexico
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#1350 | Thursday, May 30th 2002
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I was home from work that week, taking some paid time off that I needed to use or lose. My brother woke me up at 7:15 that morning, just moments after the 2nd plane hit. He told me what had happened, and I quickly turned on the TV to see what was going on. My first thought upon seeing both those towers burning was "This is no accident." A little later they announced that another plane had just hit the pentagon, and that's when I really became scared. What was happening to us? Who was doing it? What would they hit next? It was like a nightmare and it just kept getting worse. My son was home from school with a head cold that day. He sat with me, and we watched the most horrifying part of it all when that first tower fell down. The channel we were tuned in to had the camera right on tower 2 when all of a sudden mass ammounts of what looked like billowing smoke came pouring out all sides and then the building began to sink. I knew what was happening but I couldn't believe it. My son and I both gasped and and cried out. I think that was the most sickening feeling I had ever felt, knowing that everyone still left in that building wouldn't have a chance of getting out now, nor would anyone around the building who was trying to save them. We had just seen the loss of thousands of lives.
I watched the ceremony today, marking the end of the recovery effort, and it was impossible not to cry. I'll never not be touched and saddened and angry about what happened on that day. And I'll keep praying for the victims families and for justice to be served and terrorism stopped once and for all.
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lisa | 33 | New Mexico
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#1161 | Sunday, April 7th 2002
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Well, we found ourselves in NYC on 9/10 looking forward to 4 days of great fun and sightseeing! We had flown to Conn. , from our home in Albuquerque, NM to delebrate our grandaughters 10th bday in Mass.. After 3 days there, we headed to NYC. Our son had made us reservations at the Waldorf Astoria (never would we have stayed at such a special place, but he made up the difference in price) telling us he really wanted us to have a special vacation, not knowing when we'd get back to NYC! Little did he know , how special and profound it would be! We checked into the hotel and what a grand place it is! WE were able to get the Guggenheim museum in and a nice dinner that Mon.. We would get up early on Tues. am to head uptown to the studios where the Regis Philbin show is done. So we found ourselves at that location trying to get into the show without tickets! Well, while we were waiting in line, the TVs were on in the lobby and we saw the first plane hit the first tower! We were in disbelief along with all the other people there, including some of the station employees, thinking it had been a terrible accident! WE stayed put, thinking we might still get into the Regis show and my God, another plane hit the other tower! At this, every one exclaimed "it must be a terrorist attack"! People were dumbfounded, in a state of shock! We hailed a taxi and headed down to Rockefeller CTR., thinking we could get into the outside audience of the Today Show but by then it was almost deserted! This was only 10 am! WE could see the smoke billowing from the towers but were amazed that we didn't hear any explosion! Being in a state of shock still, we actually went into a restaurant in Rockefeller CTR. to have breakfast, which in afterthought, seems so crazy! Half way through our meal our waiter, very pleasant and from S. America, told us that the restaurant was closing down. He was not happy about this, because it meant no pay for the day. He shared with us that he shared an apartment with 3 other men and was saving money to return to S. America. As we left the restaurant into the lobby we saw Stone Phillips talking to other people and tried to hear what he was saying, but it seemed they didn't know much more than anyone at that moment. We headed back up to the WAldorf Astoria and found out from our cabbie (a man of about 35) that he and his wife and 3 children lived in an apartment and had to make about $10,000 a mo. to live in the city! WE were astounded!
WE were surrounded by all this chaos , but at the same time calm, and in the hotel we felt so protected, as though this horrible thing hadn't happened and was a dream! The hotel set up incredible security right away. WE got ahold of our son, who had stayed in the city, but at a different hotel and he was safe, later that day he joined us. Thank God we had not gone down to the Twin T. as tourists do! That evening we went to dinner at a lovely Italian Rest. close to the WAldorf and it seemed so bazaar , all these people visiting, having a good time, eating great food while the horrors of the site were going on! We walked down to time square and it was almost deserted!! It was frightening and seemed like a movie of the "end of the world". WE had never seen the city like this! Streets were all but abandoned! WE were hopeful that we could still get to enjoy some plays and museums on Wed. or Thurs. , but our hopes were dashed! I didn't even get to visit with my 2 cousins who live in the city who we had planned to visit with. They were so distraught by the attack they were in no mood to visit. They are still affected by this horror and still miss the spirit of the city , as it was! Driving out of the city on Wed. was so strange, it was deserted except for the police who were at different intersections. My son had hoped to get one of the wonderful NYC hot dogs from a vendor on the way out and sadly there were none to be seen or had! It's strange how even such a small, seemingly insignificant thing as not getting a hot dog can astound a person! We left the city , returning to Mass., with no problems. WE returned to Albuquerque that next week, 6 days after the attack. There were slight delays but the most noticeable thing were peoples moods and frame of mind. We were very quiet and subdued. I wondered if I would panic when on the airplane, but I didn't and I had faith that we would arrive home safely. The pilot flew over the TT area as we left Conn. and we could see the smoke and how sad we all felt! Our 2 grandchildren in Mass. made red, white & blue ribbons and passed them out to the neighbors in their area and I still proudly wear mine. Even though Albuquerque is 2000 miles away from NYC our people were so concerned and sad and in shock, as the people all over were. So, my sons' words were pretty profetic when he said "he really wanted us to have a special and memorable vacation in NYC". And he shared it with us. He has been back to ground 0 for business reasons and was appalled by the site! I'm glad I found this chance to share our story, hope it can help in some way. Thank You, Patricia Smith
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Patricia | 60 | New Mexico
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#1037 | Friday, March 15th 2002
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I remeber waking up on September 11th, it was like any other morning for me. I got ready and left for schoool. It was early about 7 o'clock when I left, so I hadn't heard of anything happening or going wrong in our world. The first person I saw was my friend, Freyja, she looked a little disturbed. She walked over to me and and said "A plan hit the Trade Center." I had never heard of the twin towers before and didn't fully understand the effect that it would have on America. I had no clue how many lives were going to be taken due to some foolish terriost, who had no clue who they were messing with. This is a day that I will never forget. I can still remember everything that was said that day, all the word that came out of my teachers mouths(and for me thats amazing). For every single person who was effected by this horrible event, please know that even today, many monthes later, there are thosands of people praying for you and your family and for all those who lost their lives in the attack.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
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Ashley | 15 | New Mexico
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